Regarding empires (and the Barbarous): I’m a fairly lowly class American by many standards, making me a wretch among, not wretches, but certainly the barely civilized; I don’t know if being a biker of sorts helps my credibility or worsens it but…

There are no sufficient “barbarians”, in either numbers or quality to replace the SPQR at this time. For numerous reasons I’m convinced that we are merely at the beginning of what in Ancient Rome was called the “Principate”, that is, the Julio-Claudian, or early empire. It is not that the organs of society are robust in any form– it is that there are as of yet no solidly working alternatives. That indeed is my critique of critiques of American Power: Namely, the alternatives are, at this time, substantially worse– especially on careful examination.

That is, perhaps, not saying much. I’m not attempting a counter arguement here to the local prevailing opinions (since they are generally very sound); really I’m questioning the specific timing of much of this analysis. The timing.

I do suffer (perhaps vicariously) under the current economic and political regime; and if nothing else, suffering does tend to lend weight to one’s… experience. But being down where I am, one sees the mood and temper of the ‘masses’, the people, and it is not of the kind of audacity required to sustain much of any order, more or less a new one. Not yet… not for quite a while.

I suggest that before new ‘orders’ emerge, new cultures must. A merit of American culture (I should say “lack of culture”) is that its vacuity both inspires and leaves room for cultural speculation that is more substantive than hooliganism. Not that I haven’t fondly met a hooligan or two on occasion. Come to think of it, I’d probably be taken for one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W51JRTjoI1A

The thing is, did the barbartians see themselves as more barbaric than the Romans? I suspect they just saw themselves as a rival brand. The ‘decline and fall’ is really just a rebranding exercise. Certain infrastructure is abandoned or replaced – but this not really unusual. Even the Romans shifted priorities.The biggest change being the abrupt dispatch of profits off-shore, along with some assets.

Now does that ring a bell?

I’m betting if you looked into it, you’d find the line between ‘barbarian’ and ‘Roman’ was far from clear-cut. Many of the most able barbarian leaders turn out to be Roman-trained, if not raised and related, many of the first to surrender ‘Roman’ interests, were none too Roman to start with.

When “Rome’ is no longer good for business, business finds other brands, before other hands.

What I’m saying is although things seem to undergo a drastic change with the fall of empire, business actually takes this in its stride. The New Bosses will, after all, still be bosses and their loyalties firstly to other bosses.

And let us not forget that Wall St. is part of the Military/Industrial/Congressional complex of which we were long ago warned.

If you fight too long with the beast you become the beast ergo Americans are have become the barbarians…..

Me and the world goes for PEACE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1tfIKUZ0fY

Janet Napolatino was governor of Arizona during the setup for the travesties. Wonder what’s in her imagination now?

Sh*t! You’re right!